How Many Miniatures are Needed to Play Warhammer 40k and Age of Sigmar?
As an avid Warhammer gamer and content creator, one of the most common questions I see is "how many miniatures do I need to play?" The answer varies greatly depending on which system, army, and point level you play at.
What Defines Army Size in Warhammer 40,000?
Warhammer 40k utilizes a points system to balance armies. The most common point levels are:
- Combat Patrol (500 pts) – Great for new players
- Incursion (1000 pts) – Standard pick-up game size
- Strike Force (2000 pts) – Most common tournament standard
So what do these point sizes look like model-wise per army? Let‘s compare a few popular factions:
Model Counts for 500 point Combat Patrol 40k Armies
| Faction | Model Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Space Marines | 20-30 models | Lots of versatility even at low points |
| Adeptus Mechanicus | 25-30 models | Lots of points spent on big units |
| Tyranids | 35-40 models | Can max out on Troop choices |
| Orks | 50-70+ models | Need lots of Boyz! |
Based on these comparisons, you realistically need 35-50 models to field a proper 500 point 40k army. However, elite armies like Space Marines can get away with 25 models if you optimize your list building.
Now let‘s look at the model count difference when Scaling up to a standard 2000 point army:
Model Counts for 2000 point Strike Force 40k Armies
| Faction | Model Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Space Marines | 50-60 models | Still relatively elite |
| Adeptus Mechanicus | 60-90 models | Adds more Troop choices |
| Tyranids | 90-120 models | Lots more monsters! |
| Orks | 120-200+ models | Needs big mobs of Boyz! |
As you can see, competitive 2000 point armies require at least double the models compared to a 500 point Combat Patrol force. Some elite armies like Space Marines can still field competitive builds with as few as 50-60 models, while horde factions like Tyranids or Orks require tons more thanks to fielding big squads.
How Many Models for Age of Sigmar Battalions?
Unlike 40k, Age of Sigmar utilizesKeywords and battalions instead of points. The minimum requirements are:
- 1 Leader
- 2 Battleline Units
Beyond that you can include additional units and battalions. Common AoS list sizes include:
- Warband (660 points) – Good starter size
- Vanguard (1000 points) – Standard pick up game
- Tournament (2000 points) – Requires 2 Battalions
This means collection sizes have more to do with meeting minimum unit sizes rather than raw model counts. Let‘s look at how this could vary by faction…
Starter Unit Sizes for Age of Sigmar Factions
| Faction | Battleline Unit | Minimum Model Count |
|---|---|---|
| Stormcast Eternals | Liberators | 5 models per unit |
| Flesh-eater Courts | Crypt Ghouls | 10 models per unit |
| Ogor Mawtribes | Bulls or Gluttons | 4 models per unit |
As shown in this table, thanks to unit minimum sizes an Age of Sigmar army can vary wildly in total models! A starting Stormcast army could be as low as 15 models if running minimum Liberator units, while a Crypt Ghoul focused Flesh-eater army would require 20+ models to field the Battleline minimum.
Cost and Model Considerations Across Systems
- When it comes to hobby expense, games with less models like 40k Space Marines tend to cost more per miniature compared to horde style armies for AoS or 40k – where units have high model counts but lower cost per model.
- For a new player budget is an important consideration – you can field Ork armies far cheaper than an equivalent Marine force in 40k for instance.
- In Age of Sigmar, armies like Ogor Mawtribes offer a great value proposition if willing to speed paint thanks to having very low model counts combined with some of the cheapest kits per model in the AoS range.
So in summary model counts fluctuate greatly depending on chosen game system, army, point levels/list building method and personal budget.
Conclusion – How Many Models to Start Warhammer?
- For Warhammer 40k, Shoot for 500 points with at least 35 models to start – this gives you room to play low point games while having models to scale up into a 2000 point army.
- For Age of Sigmar, a single Start Collecting box and battleline units nets 15-25 models which is enough for low point games.
My recommendation for new players is have a budget for at least 40-50 models to begin with. This gives you flexibility to play various game sizes in either system. After that you can continue expanding your collection over time!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions around getting started with Warhammer!
